Weekend Reads: Cookie Love by Mindy Segal

Cookie Love by Mindy Segal (with Kate Leahy) is a beautiful compilation of tasty cookies, stunning photography and tested tips for baking. Segal, the pastry chef at Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar in Chicago, pulls her experiences from the restaurant to create this impressive collection of all things sweet. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner with a sweet tooth, this book is a great resource for all your creative-baking endeavors.

Some tasty-looking recipes included Oatmeal Scotchies, Smoky Bacon Candy Bar Cookies, and Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Strawberry Lambic Jam. Segal includes chapters on biscottis, drop cookies, egg-white cookies and thumbprint cookies — many of which will surely be bakers go-to-recipes in the future.

Segal’s book is also filled with great tips and baking basics that nonprofessionals can utilize in their own kitchen. These tips compliment recipes within the book, but they also can be useful for bakers looking to be creative on their own. Tried and true recipes (like caramel sauce or honey peach preserves), baking tools, and baking methods are included in this mecca of all cookie books.

The cookbook does has one turn-off. Some recipes call for specialized ingredients, which many amateur bakers probably do not have in their pantries. However, do not let that deter you. Segal’s recipes build on difficulty level throughout many chapters. So it doesn’t matter of you’re a seasoned baker looking for a challenge, or a simple baker learning how to perfect the chocolate chip cookie — there’s a recipe for both of you.

With a variety of cookies in all shapes and sizes, Segal embraces texture and imperfection, which makes each homemade creation attainable and enjoyable. Her love for cookies can be summed up with this:

“Life — for me, at least — is like a buffet of cookies. Some are crispy, some are gooey, some are burnt, some I still can’t make. They may not be perfect — and that’s a good thing. I will still take a bite out of each one.”

With recipes ranging from simple to advanced, Segal provides a unique twist on many of our favorites. It doesn’t matter if you love baking cookies, eating cookies or — like me — both, Cookie Love is a must-have for any kitchen.